Hezbollah Could BeGaining Strength

BEIRUT - The continuing Israeli bombing of south Lebanon and south Beirut might
just have strengthened the Hezbollah.

The bombings appear particularly to have strengthened the hand of Sheik Hassan
Nasrallah, the charismatic Hezbollah leader.

Hezbollah has over the years gained a strong following in Lebanon primarily
on the back of its engagement in social services, taking on infrastructure projects,
and looking after its followers. The Israeli assault is giving Hezbollah scope
to gain more such power.

Hezbollah now controls, for example, more than half of about 100 schools in
Beirut that have been converted into refugee shelters.

"These attacks show the true force of Israel," a young man told IPS
at a refugee camp in a city park. "I was with Hezbollah before, but now
I want to join them so I can fight the Israelis, who only want our land, and
want to attack Islam."

A Hezbollah member in charge of a group of fighters in southern Beirut claimed
that support for Hezbollah has increased dramatically since the Israeli attacks
began two weeks ago.

"People are afraid, and in need, and we are protecting them and helping
care for the refugees created by this Zionist aggression," he told IPS.
"The longer this fight continues, the more support we will have. We are
prepared to fight to the very end."

Support for the Hezbollah appears to be stronger among younger people. And
some Christians too are speaking in support of Hezbollah. Ramzi Semaan, a 21-year-old
Christian told IPS that "Hezbollah was defending this country, and the
Israeli response was being planned months in advance. So Hezbollah is helping
to defend Lebanon from the Zionists."

But most of the Christian population seem to blame Hezbollah. Of the 3.8 million
people in Lebanon, about 60 percent are Muslims, mostly Shia, and most of the
remaining 40 percent Christian.

Views on the Hezbollah fall largely, though not entirely, along religious lines.
Most of the large Shia population obediently follow every word of Nasrallah.

Many who have their doubts about Hezbollah still speak of their need for Hezbollah
protection against Israeli aggression. And most agree that Hezbollah is a strong
political force, and will have to be negotiated with. It is clear that there
can be no peace in the region without including Hezbollah in any process toward
cease-fire and further, any lasting solution.

The widespread destruction of infrastructure has been decisive in turning popular
anger against Israel, rather than Hezbollah.

"Israel is protecting itself because Hezbollah made their operation against
her soldiers," said Fouad Rashed, a 33-year-old Christian owner of an electronics
store in the capital. "Their reaction is too strong though, because now
they are destroying our country."

A 50-year-old Christian, Nassan Hanin, said "Hezbollah was wrong to carry
out their operation, and Israel is wrong in their extreme reaction. I'm happy
that Hezbollah was hit for what they did, but this has been at too great a cost
for us now."

Many who lived through the worst of the civil war in the eighties blame both.

"We can barely believe there is war here again," a 52-year-old waiter
in the Hamra district of Beirut told IPS. "We thought we were finished
with it 1990. I believe it was wrong for Hezbollah to kidnap the Israeli soldiers,
but this level of reaction from the Israelis, of destroying all of Lebanon,
is completely unjustified. It is insane."

Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Dahr Jamail writes about the
effects of the US occupation on the people of Iraq, since the mainstream
media in the US has in large part, he believes, failed to do so.

Dahr has spent a total of 5 months in occupied Iraq, and plans
on returning in October to continue reporting on the occupation.
One of only a few independent reporters in Iraq, Dahr will be using
the DahrJamailIraq.com
website and mailing list to disseminate his dispatches and will
continue as special correspondent for Flashpoints Radio.

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